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Olayinka Otun
Equality and diversity

Equality means ensuring that everyone has

the same chance to make the most of their
life and abilities. It's also the concept that no
one should be denied opportunities in life
because of how they were born, where they
came from, what they believe, or whether
they're disabled. Equality recognises that
persons with protected traits like as race, handicap, sex, and sexual orientation
have faced discrimination in the past.

Acceptance and respect are important to the concept of diversity. It entails

accepting the fact that each of us is unique and appreciating our differences. Race,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, age, physical ability,
religious beliefs, political opinions, and other ideologies are all examples.

Inclusion is regarded as a basic human right. The goal of inclusion is to include

everyone, regardless of colour, gender, handicap, medical condition, or other need.
It's all about equal access and opportunities, as well as eliminating discrimination
and intolerance (removal of barriers). It has an impact on every facet of public life.
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(1.2)
Outline one (1) piece of legislation, policy, procedure and code of practice in
relation to equality, diversity and inclusion.

The Care Act of 2014 fosters the well-being of people who require care and
support, as well as their carers, by promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion.

The Health and Social Care Act of 2012, which promotes individuals' rights to
high-quality health and social care and support, is concerned with equality,
diversity, and inclusion.

The Equality Act of 2010 promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion by ensuring
that people are not treated unfairly based on their differences, such as age,
handicap, race, religion, and other factors.
In addition to family life,

The Human Rights Act of 1998, which encourages equality, diversity, and
inclusion, protects and promotes the rights and freedoms that every citizen of the
United Kingdom has.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) of 1989 is
concerned with equality, diversity, and inclusion since it assures that all children's
rights are honoured, including the right to be heard, respected, and safeguarded
from abuse.
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(2.1) Summarise three types of discrimation.

Discrimination is defined as making a distinction against a person or thing based

on their membership in a group, class, or category rather than on their individual
merits.

Age, handicap, gender transition, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and
maternity, race, religion or belief, and sex could all be factors.

Direct and indirect discrimination are the two most common types of
discrimination.

​Direct discrimination occurs when you are treated differently and worse than others
for a variety of factors, such as age, race, or sexuality.

For example, a woman may be passed over for a promotion because she is a
woman, and the job may be given to a less qualified guy.

When a practise, regulation, or guideline applies to everyone in the same way, but
has a greater impact on some people than others, this is known as indirect
discrimination. For example, having a disability may influence how you perceive
things.

A good example is enforcing a dress code that prohibits cornrow hairstyles.

Because these hairstyles are more likely to be worn by specific racial groups, this
could be considered indirect race discrimination.
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(3.1)

What is a person-centred approach?

A person-centered approach places the person at the centre of the service and treats
them as such. The idea is to focus on the person's abilities rather than their
limitations.

A person centred approach:

● Each person's life experience, age, gender, culture, heritage, language,

beliefs, and identity are taken into account.
● Supports the individual at the centre of the service in making decisions about
their own lives.
● Supports the person who is at the centre of the service in making life
decisions.
● ​Is strengths-based, with an emphasis on what people can do first and any aid
they need second.

Giving people a say in what they eat at mealtime is an example of a

person-centered care strategy. Choosing what the patient will wear on that
particular day, taking into account both practical considerations and personal
preferences.
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(2.3)

Health and social care professionals have their own set of values, beliefs, and
experiences that shape who they are and, as a result, can influence how they
perform their jobs. It's critical for health and social care professionals to be
conscious of their own values, beliefs, and experiences, as well as how they could
influence their job. Health and social care professionals who are self-aware are:

● Honest about their own values, beliefs and experiences.

● Willing to recognise their own prejudices.
● Understanding of how their own values, beliefs and experiences may
impact on the delivery of care.

Reflection, discussion with persons and others with whom they work, and meetings
with their management or employer can all help to raise self-awareness.

Recognizing that health and social care practitioners' belief systems, attitudes, and
behaviour may differ from those of individuals allows them to value and respect
individuals' differences and take these into account while providing care and
assistance. As a result, recognising belief systems, attitudes, and behaviours
necessitates health and social care practitioners to:

● Aware of their own prejudices

● Able to reflect on their prejudices

● Accepting individuals' unique differences hat are the basis of how they live
their lives.

● Understanding of individuals’ rights to hold their own belief systems,

attitudes and behaviours.
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It's not always easy to acknowledge people's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours.
This necessitates the ability to reflect on other people's feedback.

It is critical for health and social care professionals to recognise how their own
ideas can negatively influence others. They should consider how they might avoid
this in the future. They couldn't talk about their beliefs at work, for example, and
they had to be careful about how and what they said so that people didn't feel
awkward or under pressure when they were around them.

They could also consider their positive and negative attitudes toward various
categories of individuals and how these feelings might affect their work. They
could talk about it with their boss so that the care and support they receive is of
good quality, and any prejudices are addressed.
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(3.3)

Person-centered approach has a positive impact on people's lives, which is why it

underpins all high-quality care and assistance provided by health and social care
professionals.

Meets individuals needs

Social needs:
It could include exploring new hobbies, visiting new places, meeting new people,
creating new friends, or strengthening current relationships.

Emotional needs:
Individuals are encouraged to share their opinions, preferences, and thoughts and
feelings. Individuals require assurance that they are being heard, taken seriously
and that their emotional needs are being satisfied.

Cognitive needs:
Individuals are supported in developing their knowledge and comprehension of
their own ideas and thoughts through person-centered practises, such as offering
opportunities to learn and think so that they are mentally stimulated.

Physical needs:
Person centred practise encourages individuals to do as much for themselves as
possible.

Individual rights

Dignity:
Enhance people's self-esteem by allowing them to do as much as they can for
themselves and be actively involved in all choices and decisions that affect their
lives.

Respect:
Respectful working practices should be promoted, with individuals being treated as
unique persons with their own abilities, opinions, needs, and preferences.

Fulfil their capacity:

Allow people to see their own skills, abilities, needs, and the help they need to live
the lives they want and realise their dreams.
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Independence

Person-centred practice:
Enables individuals to become more reliant on themselves rather than on others,
such as health and social care practitioners and their families. This is to reduce
their dependence on others.

Encourages individuals to focus on their own strengths and abilities and what they
can do rather than what they can't. This helps the individual to increase their
confidence and become more independent.

Empowers individuals to learn new skills and have different experiences and
esteem by increasing their own worth and abilities.

Decision-making and confidence

Making their own choices and decisions helps individuals to feel more in control of
their lives and therefore more confident in their own abilities.

Person-centred practice helps to focus on the individual and their preferences,

which underpins their overall well-being.

Individuals also learn how to take and manage risks, developing their self-esteem
by increasing confidence in their own worth and abilities.

Health and well-being

Person centred practice can:

Lead to good health and overall well-being because it focuses on the person as a
whole along with their individual traits.

Impact positively on an individual's vulture requirements because it involves

understanding their personal history and family background. Taking a genuine
interest in who the individual is will increase their sense of self-worth and
therefore promote their well-being.
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It has a good impact on people's mental health and well-being because it is a way
of working that encourages people to think optimistically and build helpful
strategies for managing risks and responding to new and diverse situations.

REFERENCES

Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care - Cache Level 2.

Saunder, B. Rasheed, E. Ferreiro Peteiro, M (2019)